A huge obstacle that comes over our elderly loved ones as they age is that they don’t get out as much. That lack of leaving the house and add on the longer one lives the fewer friends one often has and you have the mixture for a person to be isolated and alone. As time progresses the results of all that isolation is one of heartache and depression.
We are social creatures. We may be more advanced than other creatures on this earth, but we still need social interaction on a regular basis. We have to see others and notice their facial expressions. We want to witness the body language that is displayed as we talk to other people. When we don’t get this interaction with other people on a regular basis we start having many different problems cropping up
There is a reason why prisons punish people by taking away social interactions. They get put into solitary confinement and it is bad enough that even Amnesty International screams for its end. Yet our senior citizens are still most often alone for hours and days on end. True they aren’t confined to a 6×9 prison cell but are stuck in a house with only a television or radio. They may make it out from time to time for a doctor’s visit or to get groceries but they don’t stop and talk with other people.
- In the United States, it is estimated that 24% of adults 65 and older are socially isolated
- About 43 percent of Americans age 60 and up have stated that they feel lonely.
- Around 44 percent of women age 75 and older live alone. Older women are more likely than older men to live alone.
- The biggest risk factors for social isolation and loneliness in elderly people are being divorced or widowed, never being married, living below the poverty line, and having a disability, or limited mobility.
What does being Alone do?
The effects of being alone don’t actually do much to a person. However mentally speaking people start searching for ways to get a dopamine hit and so they start having unhealthy habits. These habits start affecting a person and they manifest as high blood pressure, obesity, and cognitive decline. The sad part is that as a whole we honestly don’t know much about what the effects of social isolation do to us. Yet the results are pretty evident and plain to see.
Loneliness acts as a fertilizer for other diseases,” Dr. Cole said. “The biology of loneliness can accelerate the buildup of plaque in arteries, help cancer cells grow and spread, and promote inflammation in the brain leading to Alzheimer’s disease. Loneliness promotes several different types of wear and tear on the body.
Doctor Cole
Depression
Since we are social animals. when we don’t have the proper amount o social interaction we will often start to fall into depression. now this depression may not be very severe. Yet it can be very severe. The need for social interaction in senior citizens is very evident when looking at the difference between an elderly woman who has regular social interaction and someone who suffers from chronic loneliness.
Physical Illness
With the mental effects, there are physical effects that show up in those who live alone. Many times physical ailments appear more often and regularly in those who don’t have regular contact with other human beings. These effects include heart disease, and strokes are more prevalent in those who are socially isolated.
Cognitive Decline
Because the mind isn’t being exercised as much when a person is living alone and is isolated from others in their community you can expect seniors to have a decline in their cognitive function This is also being shown to include Alzheimer’s and dementia. When we have a healthy discussion over any topic it allows us to work our minds more than when we are sitting on autopilot.
Why do Senior Citizens become Socially isolated?
The way so many senior citizens become isolated and become lonely is that as they age their friends and close contacts start to die. Therefore instead of celebrating the milestones of age, they become more and more alone.
Also when people age they don’t get out as much because of the aches and pains of older joints. The more alone they are the more pain they have. this is because our brain doesn’t see physical and emotional pain as different. These pains are processed in the same part of the brain. So elderly folks don’t venture out as much.
There is also a case of out of sight out of mind. Many times the neighbors don’t see the elderly gentleman quite as much but they don’t stop by to see how he is fairing along. So people stop coming by because they are busy with their life and just sort of forget about the elderly folks as they sit in their houses.
How do you help to Fight Loneliness?
Though the problem is difficult the solution is easy. You find ways to inject others into your loved ones’ life. Now you may worry about what social ills may come along, however, that belief is actually doing your loved one more harm than good, simply because they are now lonely because you care. So changing how you interact with your elderly loved one is point one.
Talk to them more. Find a way for them to be able to see you when you talk. If they are tech-savvy enough, you might be able to use Apples Facetime or Google Meet. If they aren’t, then just talking on the phone is better than nothing.
Help them find a social group.
A great place to start is at their church or synagog. Helping them get out of the house to go to their place of worship can help the mental state of your loved one more than almost anything else. If you are the secular type of person and don’t like the church that is fine but would you rather have our grandmother be happy and healthy or because of your thoughts would you prefer her to not go to church? This is a topic that you don’t have to like but suck it up and bite your tongue for grandma.
If they have other social groups find solutions to getting them there. Many places now have senior buses that help them get from place to place when they can’t drive. For our area, there is Red River Transportation. They cover western and central Oklahoma. That way you might be able to cover the fees associated with this rural transit system. However, you want to do it. Help your loved one get out and see other people let them spend time with other people their age.
Help them, Volunteer
This is a way they can give back to the community and they can be around other people. From Corn Bible Academy to Friends of Western Plains Library Systems There are nonprofits that are needing people to help. Then you add the knowledge that our seniors have they are able to keep providing value.
There are many other ways that you can fight off the effects of social isolation and if you would like more help you can also visit the National Council of Aging
There are also Companion Services
Yes, this is exactly what we are built for. We come in and visit with the elderly we also help cook and clean. The biggest value is that we are able to keep your loved one company and give them the attention and mental stimulation they need so that they are able to live a long and fruitful life. Companion services help keep loneliness at bay by allowing our clients to have social interactions. We can take them to church or to any other civic club that they want to visit.
If you would like some more information on how Above All Companion Service can help you or your loved one please reach out